O Jesus Crucified!
Help us to carry our cross as You carried Yours!
O holy Mother of Sorrows,
impress upon my poor heart
the wounds of my sweet Saviour.
Let Us Pray.
Forgive
us,
O
my
divine
Jesus,
the
faults
of
which
we
might
have
been
guilty
in
this
pious
exercise
of
the
Way
of
the
Cross;
strengthen
us
in
the
good
resolutions
inspired
by
the
meditation
of
Your
sufferings;
allow
us
to
gather
from
them
some
precious
fruits
for
our
sanctification,
and
remember,
in
Your
infinite
mercy,
the
souls
of
our
deceased
relatives,
friends
and
benefactors.
Amen.
Way of the Cross
in union with Mary, our Mother
Preparatory Prayer.
O
Jesus,
Saviour
of
men
through
the
Cross,
we
offer
You
this
pious
exercise
of
the
Way
of
the
Cross,
to
thank
You
for
having
suffered
death
for
us,
to
ask
You
for
forgiveness
of
all
our
offenses,
and
to
ask
You to apply to the souls in Purgatory the merits of Your holy Passion.
And
You,
O
Mary,
good
and
tender
Mother,
allow
Your
children
to
accompany
You
in
this
painful
way
that
You
have
bathed
in
Your
tears,
so
that,
strengthened
by
Your
examples
and
by
Your
lessons,
we may gather from it some fruits for our sanctification.
And
by
whom
is
Jesus
condemned
to
death?
By
those
to
whom
He
had
done
nothing
but
good,
by
those
whom
He
had
just
rescued
from
eternal
death.
And
what
was
His
crime?
He
had
loved
men
too
much…
Mothers
are
often
inconsolable
when
they
hear
physicians
declare
that
all
the
resources
of
art
are
powerless
to
save
a
poor
sick
child
from
an
inevitable
death;
but
You,
O
Mary,
who
knew
all
the
perfections,
all
the
tenderness
of
the
Heart
of
Jesus,
how
profound
must
have
been
the
pain
You felt when You heard this verdict of death?
Jesus
is
condemned
to
death!
Ah,
let
us
not
turn
our
anger
against
Pilate,
but
rather
against
ourselves.
When
we
commit
sin,
are
we
not
guilty
of
ingratitude,
of
unforgivable
wickedness?
And
yet,
O
Mary,
far
from
calling
down
upon
us
the
vengeance
of
Heaven,
You
still
beg
Your
divine
Son
to
forgive
us!
Ah,
do
not
allow
us
to
fall
back
into
sin,
which
is
the
murderer of our good Saviour.
I. Jesus is condemned to death.
It
should
have
been
we
who
were
the
real
culprits
who
took
on
the
weight
of
the
Cross,
which
had
become
so
heavy
because
of
the
sins
of
the
whole
human
race.
And
we
are
afraid
of
the
Cross;
we
do
not
dare
to
touch
it
in
any
way;
we
do
not
want
to
impose
on
ourselves
any
sacrifice
or
privation.
O
Mary,
my
good
Mother,
You
weep
over
our
blindness
and
indifference
to
our
salvation,
seeing
the
repugnance
we
feel
at
the
sight
of
the
Cross…
And
yet,
is
it
not
in
the
Cross
that
God
has
placed
the
salvation
of
the
world?
Is
not
the
Cross
our
only
hope,
as
the
Holy
Church
sings?
Is
it
not
the
consolation of the afflicted and penitent soul?
May
we
never
forget,
O
Immaculate
Virgin,
the
words
of
Your
divine
Son,
who
warns
us
that
he
who
does
not
carry
the
Cross
is
unworthy
of
Him,
and
cannot
be
His
disciple;
and
that
if
anyone
wishes
to
come
after
Him,
he
must
carry
his
Cross
every
day
and
follow
Him.
O
Mary,
presented
by
You,
the
Cross
will
be
dear
to
us,
and
we
will
be happy to carry it.
II. Jesus takes up His Cross.
O
Jesus,
my
Saviour,
You,
the
sustainer
of
the
weak,
the
strength
of
the
martyrs,
You
succumb
under
the
weight
of
the
Cross!
O
Mary,
who
was
initiated
into
all
the
secrets
of
the
Heart
of
Jesus,
give
us
the
understanding
of this mystery.
Let us listen to our Mother:
Ah,
My
children,
if
you
were
more
docile
to
grace,
if
you
had
a
greater
abhorrence
of
sin,
if
you
had
more
love
and
gratitude
for
your
good
Saviour,
you
would
lighten
the
weight
of
the
Cross,
which
He
took
upon
Himself
for
love
of
you.
But
too
often
you
add
each
day
new
sins
to
your
past
sins;
you
do
not
mourn
them
and
this
is
what
grieves
the
Heart
of
My
Son,
this
is
what
makes
His
Cross
so
heavy
that
He
is
overwhelmed by it and succumbs…
–
O
good
Mother,
who
sustained
Your
dear
Son
on
the
Way
to
Calvary,
strengthen
us
also
against
our
weaknesses,
our
indifference
and
our
lukewarmness.
O
compassionate Mother, have mercy on our extreme misery and help us.
III. Jesus falls for the first time.
O
Mary,
what
a
painful
encounter
for
Your
motherly
heart!
Jesus,
the
most
beautiful
child
of
men,
Jesus,
the
splendor
of
the
Father,
and
the
figure
of
His
substance,
the
One
whom
the
Angels
adore
with
trembling,
Jesus,
the
beloved
Son
of
the
heavenly
Father,
who
has
placed
all
His
pleasures
in
Him,
here
He
is
all
disfigured
and
unrecognizable,
but
not
unrecognizable
to
Your
motherly
heart,
O
Mary.
While
weeping
over
the
sufferings
of
Your
divine
Son,
while
associating
Yourself
with
His
sorrows,
You
thought
of
Your
dear
children, You implored mercy for them.
O
Jesus,
O
Mary,
what
confusion
for
us
to
have
caused
You
so
many
tears
and
sufferings!
But
also
what
gratitude
do
we
not
owe
You!…
O
divine
Consoler
of
the
afflicted,
how
happy
we
are
to
think
that
in
the
time
of
trials
and
sorrows
of
this
present
life,
You
sympathize
with
our
miseries,
with
our
sorrows.
You
will
also
come
to
meet
Your
children;
You
will
encourage
them
as
You
encouraged
Your
dear
Son
in
the
painful
way
of
Calvary.
Grant
us
this
hope,
and receive the homage of our hearts which are entirely devoted to You.
How
often,
in
certain
moments
of
fervor,
have
we
not
said
to
ourselves:
Oh,
if
it
had
been
given
to
me,
as
it
was
to
this
man,
to
be
called
to
the
great
honor
of
carrying
the
Cross
with
Jesus!
And
yet,
it
is
up
to
us
to
enjoy
this
favor;
the
opportunity
presents
itself
every
day…
“My
children,”
the
Virgin
Mary
tells
us,
“you
long
for
the
honor
of
helping
My
divine
Son
to
carry
His
Cross;
well,
do
everything
He
tells
you.
Open
the
Gospel;
what
does
it
say
to
you?
Give
food
and
clothing
to
the
poor,
visit
the
sick,
comfort
the
afflicted…
Truly
I
say
to
you,
whatever
good
you
do
to
the
least
of
your
brothers,
I
will
consider
as
done
to
Myself,
and
so
you
will
make
My
Cross
lighter.
The
kingdom
of
heaven
suffers
violence;
correct
this
defect,
destroy
this
bad
habit,
hold
back
your
tongue,
increase
your
vigilance,
fight
your
wicked
passions…
And
you
will
help
Me, like the Cyrenian, to carry the weight of My Cross…”
–
Thank
you,
O
good
Mother,
for
the
light
that
You
have
shone
in
the
eyes
of
our
soul.
Oh,
let
us
accompany
You
on
the
Way
to
Calvary,
so
that
we
may
never
be
separated from Your dear Son, since He alone has the words of eternal life.
V. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His Cross.
O
Mary,
the
holy
women
of
Jerusalem,
seeing
You
so
courageously
lavish
on
Your
divine
Son
all
the
tenderness
of
Your
motherly
heart,
feel
encouraged
to
follow
in
Your
footsteps.
I
see
one
of
them,
who
defies
all
human
respect
to
help
her
divine
Master;
she
overcomes
all
obstacles,
passes
through
the
ranks
of
the
soldiers
and
executioners,
approaches
Jesus,
wipes
His
face
all
covered
with
sweat,
dust
and
blood.
The
Saviour,
to
reward
her
courage
and
devotion,
works
a
miracle
in
her
favor,
by
leaving
the
features
of
His
adorable
face
printed
on
the
cloth
she
had
used
to
wipe
His
face…
Oh,
how
well
the
behavior
of
this
heroic
woman condemns our cowardice, our pusillanimity!
O
my
divine
Jesus,
how
guilty
we
would
be
if,
seeing
Your
divine
face
covered
with
tears
of
blood,
with
which
You
wept
for
our
sins,
we
blushed
to
belong
to
You
and
to
defend
the
interests
of
Your
glory…
O
Mary,
grant
that
we
may
always
bear
in
mind
these
words
of
Your
divine
Son:
“I
will
recognize
before
My
Father
only
those
who have not blushed at Me before men.”
VI. Veronica wipes the Face of Jesus.
Saint
Gertrude
tells
us
that
when
the
Saviour
fell
a
second
time,
a
great
clamor
arose
from
the
people,
and
that
the
executioners
uttered
blasphemies,
mocking
and
sacrilegious
cries.
O
Mary,
who
can
recount
the
deep
sorrow
caused
to
You
by
the
clamor
of
that
frenzied
people,
pursuing
with
blind
hatred
the
Holy
of
Holies,
who
was
sacrificing
Himself
for
the
salvation
of
the
world?
But
how
great
is
the
grief
of
Your
most
holy
soul
at
the
sight
of
our
recurring
sins!
Jesus
falls
under
the
weight
of
the
Cross,
and
He
rises
again…
He
falls
a
second time, and He rises again…
And
we,
let
us
confess
it
very
humbly,
fall
and
fall
again;
and
You
see
in
us
no
amendment,
no
serious
desire
to
become
better,
and
this
is
what
grieves
Your
Immaculate
Heart;
and
You
are
entitled,
O
good
Mother,
to
reproach
us
for
being
the
cause
of
the
blasphemy
of
the
name
of
God
in
the
world;
wicked
men
are
so
eager
to
make
religion
responsible
for
our
disorders
and
our
imperfections!
O
Mary,
support
our
faltering
steps,
and
do
not
allow
us
to
leave
this
world
without
having
satisfied,
by
sincere
penance,
the
justice
of
our
God.
VII. Jesus falls for the second time.
What
a
delightful
and
consoling
station!
Jesus
consoles
the
daughters
of
Jerusalem
who
follow
Him…
He
is
overwhelmed
with
insults
and
ill-treatment;
He
has
already
succumbed
twice
to
the
burden
of
the
Cross;
He
rises,
not
to
overthrow,
with
a
single
glance,
His
cruel
tormentors,
as
He
had
done
in
the
garden
of
Gethsemane,
but
to
address
words
of
consolation
to
a
group
of
holy
women
who
followed
Him
to
Calvary,
out
of
love
and
devotion.
They
lament
the
terrible
state
in
which
His
enemies
have
reduced
Him,
and
He,
the
good
Shepherd,
thinks
only
of
the
terrible
misfortunes
that
will befall their homeland…
O
Mary,
O
Virgin
of
Sorrows,
You
were
in
the
midst
of
these
holy
women,
guiding
and
encouraging
them;
You
heard
these
words
of
consolation
and
mercy,
these
salutary
warnings
that
this
divine
Master
addressed
to
them,
and
You
want
us
to
meditate
on
them.
Your
divine
Son
does
not
want
us
to
weep
over
His
sufferings,
but
over
our
sins
which
have
caused
them.
Obtain
for
all
Your
children
the
grace
to
weep
for
their
sins,
and
thus
to
deserve
to
share
in
spite
of
our
unworthiness,
in
the
consolations
that
the
good
Jesus
lavishes
on
faithful and repentant souls who follow Him.
VIII. Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem.
O
Mary,
our
gentle
Mistress,
You
who
had
such
a
perfect
understanding
of
the
mystery
of
the
Passion
of
Your
dear
Son,
tell
us
then
why
He
fell
to
the
ground
three times on the way to Calvary.
–
Ah,
My
children,
it
is
your
infidelities
that
are
the
cause.
You
fall
back
into
your
faults
so
easily
that
My
Son
is
overwhelmed
with
sadness;
He
succumbs
under
the
weight
of
such
a
great
abuse
of
His
graces.
However,
see!…
He
always
rises
again.
But
you,
have
you
fallen
only
three
times?
If
only
you
would
get
up
again
with
courage
and
promptness!…
But,
oh
ungrateful
and
rebellious
children,
you
delay
so
long
to
come
back
to
God
truthfully,
to
enter
the
narrow
way
of
the
Gospel,
to
cling
without
return
to
your sweet Saviour!…
–
O
good
and
tender
Mother,
take
us
by
the
hand
and
raise
us
up;
turn
our
hearts
to
Him
who
alone
can
make
them
happy.
We
no
longer
wish
to
afflict
the
adorable
and merciful Heart of Your divine Son.
IX. Jesus falls for the third time.
Oh,
how
much
it
must
have
cost
this
good
Master
to
appear
naked
before
an
innumerable
crowd
of
spectators!
What
pains
He
had
to
endure
when
the
executioners
violently
tore
off
His
tunic,
which
was
stuck
to
His
sacred
flesh,
thus
reopening
the
innumerable
and
deep
wounds
which
the
torture
of
the
scourging
had
caused
Him…
What
were
Your
thoughts
then,
O
my
divine
Saviour?
Tell
us,
O
Holy
Virgin,
You
who accompanied Him to His death…
–
O
My
children,
by
this
complete
self-denial,
He
wanted
to
give
you
a
double
lesson.
He
wanted
to
detach
your
heart
from
the
false
goods
of
the
earth,
from
which
death
will
one
day
strip
you;
He
also
wanted,
by
this
complete
nakedness,
to
expiate
all
your
sensualities,
your
love
of
the
forbidden
pleasures
of
the
flesh,
your
levity
and
immodesty.
Enter
willingly,
My
children,
into
the
dispositions
of
the
most
pure
Heart
of
My
divine
Son,
and
ask
Him
for
the
grace
to
fight
effectively against sinful thoughts, desires and affections.
X. Jesus is stripped of His garments.
O
Mary,
O
my
Mother,
and
You
were
present
at
this
painful
spectacle!
And
You
heard
the
hammer
blows
that
were
driving
the
nails
into
the
hands
and
feet
of
Your
dear
Son!
And
You
did
not
die
of
pain,
because
the
Lord
wanted
You
to
be
our
model
in
the
afflictions
and
trials of life.
O
my
sweet
Saviour,
it
was
up
to
us
to
stretch
out
our
hands
and
feet
to
the
executioners
to
nail
them
to
the
Cross,
since
we
alone
were
the
real
culprits.
O
my
good
Mother,
help
us
to
conceive
a
keen
horror
of
sin,
the
murderer
of
our
good
Jesus,
the
murderer
of
our
souls.
Fix
also
the
inconstancy
of
our
hearts,
and
nail
our
hands
and
feet
to
the
Cross,
so
that
we
may
never
separate
ourselves
from
Jesus,
who
is
the
life
of
our
souls.
Above
all,
fix
our
poor
hearts
to
it,
so
that
from
now
on,
attached
to
the
Cross
by
the
bonds
of
love
and
gratitude,
we
may
be
His
for
time and for eternity.
XI. Jesus is nailed to the Cross.
O
Mary,
whom
we
see
standing
at
the
foot
of
the
Cross,
receiving
with
such
great
calm
the
last
breath
of
Your
divine
Son,
while
in
nature
everything
is
in
turmoil
and
stupor,
tell
us
what
this
twelfth
station,
whose
venerated image we find everywhere, teaches us?
–
Ah,
dear
children,
contemplate
your
Saviour,
tied
to
the
Cross.
It
is
for
you
that
His
arms
are
stretched
out;
it
is
for
you
that
His
side
was
opened,
yes,
for
you
and
for
all
the
sinners
of
the
earth.
Come
often
to
the
foot
of
this
Cross,
from
which
Jesus,
at
the
moment
of
expiring,
asked
forgiveness
and
mercy
for
all
the
sins
of
the
world.
May
His
blood
fall
upon
you,
to
wash
and
cleanse you of all your defilements. My Son prayed for you; oh, do not forget it.
–
O
blessed
Mary,
how
happy
we
are
to
hear
it!
Ask
Your
dear
Son
to
receive
us
into
His
arms,
to
open
His
Heart
to
us,
and
to
close
it
upon
us,
to
separate
us
from
the
world
and
all
its
vain
pleasures;
and
that
henceforth
our
life
be
hidden
in
God
with Jesus Christ.
XII. Jesus dies on the Cross for our salvation.
O
Mary,
my
good
Mother,
how
Your
most
holy
soul
must
have
been
pierced
by
a
sword,
by
an
immense
pain,
when
You
received
in
Your
arms
The
lifeless
body
of
Your
sweet
Jesus!
I
understand
the
reason
why
the
holy
Church
gave
You
the
name
of
Our
Lady
of
Infinite
Sorrows.
She
wants
us
to
represent
You
under
the
features
of
an
afflicted
mother,
whose
heart
is
pierced
with
seven
swords.
O
Mary,
You
present
this
good
Jesus
to
our
eyes,
and
it
seems
to
us
that
we
hear
You
speak
this language to us:
–
O
My
children,
cast
your
eyes
upon
the
body
of
your
Saviour,
your
God,
this
pallid,
bloody
and
wounded
body.
See!
So
many
humiliations,
sufferings
and
love!
And
all
this
to
save
your
souls!
Will
you
not
make
any
sacrifice
for
your
Saviour?
Would
I
have
resigned
Myself to the immolation of My dear Son without this immolation benefiting you?
–
Oh
no,
most
holy
Mother
of
God,
we
don’t
want
to
cause
You
this
sorrow
anymore…
We
sincerely
deplore
our
guilty
cowardice.
We
promise
You
to
make
amends
and
to
repair
by
a
redoubling
of
love
and
a
serious
penance
our
innumerable sins which made Your sweet Jesus die.
XIII. Jesus is taken down from the Cross.
O
my
divine
Saviour,
it
is
not
for
ever
that
You
are
placed
in
the
tomb.
Soon,
O
divine
Mary,
You
will
see
Him
again:
consoling
You,
wiping
Your
tears
and
congratulating
You
on
Your
courage.
It
is
not
so
with
us.
Too
often,
by
our
infidelities,
we
dig
ourselves
a
foul
grave,
where
we
let
our
soul
fall
asleep
with
a
sleep
of
death,
for
whole
months,
for
years
perhaps…
Yet
it
would
be
so
easy
for
us
to
come
out
of
the
tomb
of
our
sins,
to
resurrect
to
grace,
to
take
up
a
new
life,
the
life
of the children of God, the children of Mary.
The
tomb
of
Jesus,
the
emblem
of
our
holy
Tabernacles,
contains
an
inexhaustible
source
of
graces
that
urge
us
to
return
to
God…
And
we
are
not
going
to
quench
our
thirst
at
this
source
of
living
water,
which
flows
back
to
eternal
life!…
Oh!
if
we
are
lost,
it
will
be
our
fault.
O
good
Mother,
do
not
allow
it;
rather,
perform
a
miracle
in
favor
of
Your
children.
The
less
we
deserve
it,
the
more
honor
will
come
to
You,
the
more
You
will have the right to our eternal gratitude.
XIV. Jesus is laid in the tomb.
IV. Jesus encounters His Most Holy Mother.
O Jesus Crucified!
Help us to carry our cross as You carried Yours!
O holy Mother of Sorrows,
impress upon my poor heart
the wounds of my sweet Saviour.
Let Us Pray.
Forgive
us,
O
my
divine
Jesus,
the
faults
of
which
we
might
have
been
guilty
in
this
pious
exercise
of
the
Way
of
the
Cross;
strengthen
us
in
the
good
resolutions
inspired
by
the
meditation
of
Your
sufferings;
allow
us
to
gather
from
them
some
precious
fruits
for
our
sanctification,
and
remember,
in
Your
infinite
mercy,
the
souls
of
our
deceased relatives, friends and benefactors. Amen.
Way of the Cross
in union with Mary, our Mother
Preparatory Prayer.
O
Jesus,
Saviour
of
men
through
the
Cross,
we
offer
You
this
pious
exercise
of
the
Way
of
the
Cross,
to
thank
You
for
having
suffered
death
for
us,
to
ask
You
for
forgiveness
of
all
our
offenses,
and
to
ask
You
to
apply
to
the
souls
in
Purgatory
the
merits
of
Your holy Passion.
And
You,
O
Mary,
good
and
tender
Mother,
allow
Your
children
to
accompany
You
in
this
painful
way
that
You
have
bathed
in
Your
tears,
so
that,
strengthened
by
Your
examples
and
by
Your
lessons,
we
may
gather
from
it
some
fruits
for
our
sanctification.
And
by
whom
is
Jesus
condemned
to
death?
By
those
to
whom
He
had
done
nothing
but
good,
by
those
whom
He
had
just
rescued
from
eternal
death.
And
what
was
His
crime?
He
had
loved
men
too
much…
Mothers
are
often
inconsolable
when
they
hear
physicians
declare
that
all
the
resources
of
art
are
powerless
to
save
a
poor
sick
child
from
an
inevitable
death;
but
You,
O
Mary,
who
knew
all
the
perfections,
all
the
tenderness
of
the
Heart
of
Jesus,
how
profound
must
have
been
the
pain
You
felt
when
You
heard
this
verdict
of
death?
Jesus
is
condemned
to
death!
Ah,
let
us
not
turn
our
anger
against
Pilate,
but
rather
against
ourselves.
When
we
commit
sin,
are
we
not
guilty
of
ingratitude,
of
unforgivable
wickedness?
And
yet,
O
Mary,
far
from
calling
down
upon
us
the
vengeance
of
Heaven,
You
still
beg
Your
divine
Son
to
forgive
us!
Ah,
do
not
allow
us
to
fall
back
into
sin,
which
is
the murderer of our good Saviour.
I. Jesus is condemned to death.
It
should
have
been
we
who
were
the
real
culprits
who
took
on
the
weight
of
the
Cross,
which
had
become
so
heavy
because
of
the
sins
of
the
whole
human
race.
And
we
are
afraid
of
the
Cross;
we
do
not
dare
to
touch
it
in
any
way;
we
do
not
want
to
impose
on
ourselves
any
sacrifice
or
privation.
O
Mary,
my
good
Mother,
You
weep
over
our
blindness
and
indifference
to
our
salvation,
seeing
the
repugnance
we
feel
at
the
sight
of
the
Cross…
And
yet,
is
it
not
in
the
Cross
that
God
has
placed
the
salvation
of
the
world?
Is
not
the
Cross
our
only
hope,
as
the
Holy
Church
sings?
Is
it
not
the
consolation
of
the
afflicted
and
penitent
soul?
May
we
never
forget,
O
Immaculate
Virgin,
the
words
of
Your
divine
Son,
who
warns
us
that
he
who
does
not
carry
the
Cross
is
unworthy
of
Him,
and
cannot
be
His
disciple;
and
that
if
anyone
wishes
to
come
after
Him,
he
must
carry
his
Cross
every
day
and
follow
Him.
O
Mary,
presented
by
You,
the
Cross
will
be dear to us, and we will be happy to carry it.
II. Jesus takes up His Cross.
O
Jesus,
my
Saviour,
You,
the
sustainer
of
the
weak,
the
strength
of
the
martyrs,
You
succumb
under
the
weight
of
the
Cross!
O
Mary,
who
was
initiated
into
all
the
secrets
of
the
Heart
of
Jesus,
give
us
the
understanding of this mystery.
Let us listen to our Mother:
Ah,
My
children,
if
you
were
more
docile
to
grace,
if
you
had
a
greater
abhorrence
of
sin,
if
you
had
more
love
and
gratitude
for
your
good
Saviour,
you
would
lighten
the
weight
of
the
Cross,
which
He
took
upon
Himself
for
love
of
you.
But
too
often
you
add
each
day
new
sins
to
your
past
sins;
you
do
not
mourn
them
and
this
is
what
grieves
the
Heart
of
My
Son,
this
is
what
makes
His
Cross
so
heavy
that
He
is
overwhelmed by it and succumbs…
–
O
good
Mother,
who
sustained
Your
dear
Son
on
the
Way
to
Calvary,
strengthen
us
also
against
our
weaknesses,
our
indifference
and
our
lukewarmness.
O
compassionate
Mother,
have
mercy on our extreme misery and help us.
III. Jesus falls for the first time.
O
Mary,
what
a
painful
encounter
for
Your
motherly
heart!
Jesus,
the
most
beautiful
child
of
men,
Jesus,
the
splendor
of
the
Father,
and
the
figure
of
His
substance,
the
One
whom
the
Angels
adore
with
trembling,
Jesus,
the
beloved
Son
of
the
heavenly
Father,
who
has
placed
all
His
pleasures
in
Him,
here
He
is
all
disfigured
and
unrecognizable,
but
not
unrecognizable
to
Your
motherly
heart,
O
Mary.
While
weeping
over
the
sufferings
of
Your
divine
Son,
while
associating
Yourself
with
His
sorrows,
You
thought
of
Your
dear
children,
You
implored
mercy for them.
O
Jesus,
O
Mary,
what
confusion
for
us
to
have
caused
You
so
many
tears
and
sufferings!
But
also
what
gratitude
do
we
not
owe
You!…
O
divine
Consoler
of
the
afflicted,
how
happy
we
are
to
think
that
in
the
time
of
trials
and
sorrows
of
this
present
life,
You
sympathize
with
our
miseries,
with
our
sorrows.
You
will
also
come
to
meet
Your
children;
You
will
encourage
them
as
You
encouraged
Your
dear
Son
in
the
painful
way
of
Calvary.
Grant
us
this
hope,
and
receive
the
homage
of
our
hearts
which
are entirely devoted to You.
IV. Jesus encounters His Most Holy Mother.
O
Mary,
the
holy
women
of
Jerusalem,
seeing
You
so
courageously
lavish
on
Your
divine
Son
all
the
tenderness
of
Your
motherly
heart,
feel
encouraged
to
follow
in
Your
footsteps.
I
see
one
of
them,
who
defies
all
human
respect
to
help
her
divine
Master;
she
overcomes
all
obstacles,
passes
through
the
ranks
of
the
soldiers
and
executioners,
approaches
Jesus,
wipes
His
face
all
covered
with
sweat,
dust
and
blood.
The
Saviour,
to
reward
her
courage
and
devotion,
works
a
miracle
in
her
favor,
by
leaving
the
features
of
His
adorable
face
printed
on
the
cloth
she
had
used
to
wipe
His
face…
Oh,
how
well
the
behavior
of
this
heroic
woman
condemns
our
cowardice, our pusillanimity!
O
my
divine
Jesus,
how
guilty
we
would
be
if,
seeing
Your
divine
face
covered
with
tears
of
blood,
with
which
You
wept
for
our
sins,
we
blushed
to
belong
to
You
and
to
defend
the
interests
of
Your
glory…
O
Mary,
grant
that
we
may
always
bear
in
mind
these
words
of
Your
divine
Son:
“I
will
recognize
before
My
Father
only
those
who
have
not
blushed
at
Me
before
men.”
VI. Veronica wipes the Face of Jesus.
Saint
Gertrude
tells
us
that
when
the
Saviour
fell
a
second
time,
a
great
clamor
arose
from
the
people,
and
that
the
executioners
uttered
blasphemies,
mocking
and
sacrilegious
cries.
O
Mary,
who
can
recount
the
deep
sorrow
caused
to
You
by
the
clamor
of
that
frenzied
people,
pursuing
with
blind
hatred
the
Holy
of
Holies,
who
was
sacrificing
Himself
for
the
salvation
of
the
world?
But
how
great
is
the
grief
of
Your
most
holy
soul
at
the
sight
of
our
recurring
sins!
Jesus
falls
under
the
weight
of
the
Cross,
and
He
rises
again…
He falls a second time, and He rises again…
And
we,
let
us
confess
it
very
humbly,
fall
and
fall
again;
and
You
see
in
us
no
amendment,
no
serious
desire
to
become
better,
and
this
is
what
grieves
Your
Immaculate
Heart;
and
You
are
entitled,
O
good
Mother,
to
reproach
us
for
being
the
cause
of
the
blasphemy
of
the
name
of
God
in
the
world;
wicked
men
are
so
eager
to
make
religion
responsible
for
our
disorders
and
our
imperfections!
O
Mary,
support
our
faltering
steps,
and
do
not
allow
us
to
leave
this
world
without
having
satisfied,
by
sincere
penance,
the
justice
of
our God.
VII. Jesus falls for the second time.
What
a
delightful
and
consoling
station!
Jesus
consoles
the
daughters
of
Jerusalem
who
follow
Him…
He
is
overwhelmed
with
insults
and
ill-treatment;
He
has
already
succumbed
twice
to
the
burden
of
the
Cross;
He
rises,
not
to
overthrow,
with
a
single
glance,
His
cruel
tormentors,
as
He
had
done
in
the
garden
of
Gethsemane,
but
to
address
words
of
consolation
to
a
group
of
holy
women
who
followed
Him
to
Calvary,
out
of
love
and
devotion.
They
lament
the
terrible
state
in
which
His
enemies
have
reduced
Him,
and
He,
the
good
Shepherd,
thinks
only
of
the
terrible
misfortunes that will befall their homeland…
O
Mary,
O
Virgin
of
Sorrows,
You
were
in
the
midst
of
these
holy
women,
guiding
and
encouraging
them;
You
heard
these
words
of
consolation
and
mercy,
these
salutary
warnings
that
this
divine
Master
addressed
to
them,
and
You
want
us
to
meditate
on
them.
Your
divine
Son
does
not
want
us
to
weep
over
His
sufferings,
but
over
our
sins
which
have
caused
them.
Obtain
for
all
Your
children
the
grace
to
weep
for
their
sins,
and
thus
to
deserve
to
share
in
spite
of
our
unworthiness,
in
the
consolations
that
the
good
Jesus
lavishes
on
faithful
and repentant souls who follow Him.
VIII. Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem.
O
Mary,
our
gentle
Mistress,
You
who
had
such
a
perfect
understanding
of
the
mystery
of
the
Passion
of
Your
dear
Son,
tell
us
then
why
He
fell
to
the
ground
three
times
on
the
way to Calvary.
–
Ah,
My
children,
it
is
your
infidelities
that
are
the
cause.
You
fall
back
into
your
faults
so
easily
that
My
Son
is
overwhelmed
with
sadness;
He
succumbs
under
the
weight
of
such
a
great
abuse
of
His
graces.
However,
see!…
He
always
rises
again.
But
you,
have
you
fallen
only
three
times?
If
only
you
would
get
up
again
with
courage
and
promptness!…
But,
oh
ungrateful
and
rebellious
children,
you
delay
so
long
to
come
back
to
God
truthfully,
to
enter
the
narrow
way
of
the
Gospel,
to
cling
without
return
to
your sweet Saviour!…
–
O
good
and
tender
Mother,
take
us
by
the
hand
and
raise
us
up;
turn
our
hearts
to
Him
who
alone
can
make
them
happy.
We
no
longer
wish
to
afflict
the adorable and merciful Heart of Your divine Son.
IX. Jesus falls for the third time.
Oh,
how
much
it
must
have
cost
this
good
Master
to
appear
naked
before
an
innumerable
crowd
of
spectators!
What
pains
He
had
to
endure
when
the
executioners
violently
tore
off
His
tunic,
which
was
stuck
to
His
sacred
flesh,
thus
reopening
the
innumerable
and
deep
wounds
which
the
torture
of
the
scourging
had
caused
Him…
What
were
Your
thoughts
then,
O
my
divine
Saviour?
Tell
us,
O
Holy
Virgin,
You
who
accompanied
Him
to
His
death…
–
O
My
children,
by
this
complete
self-denial,
He
wanted
to
give
you
a
double
lesson.
He
wanted
to
detach
your
heart
from
the
false
goods
of
the
earth,
from
which
death
will
one
day
strip
you;
He
also
wanted,
by
this
complete
nakedness,
to
expiate
all
your
sensualities,
your
love
of
the
forbidden
pleasures
of
the
flesh,
your
levity
and
immodesty.
Enter
willingly,
My
children,
into
the
dispositions
of
the
most
pure
Heart
of
My
divine
Son,
and
ask
Him
for
the
grace
to
fight
effectively
against
sinful
thoughts, desires and affections.
X. Jesus is stripped of His garments.
O
Mary,
O
my
Mother,
and
You
were
present
at
this
painful
spectacle!
And
You
heard
the
hammer
blows
that
were
driving
the
nails
into
the
hands
and
feet
of
Your
dear
Son!
And
You
did
not
die
of
pain,
because
the
Lord
wanted
You
to
be
our
model
in
the
afflictions and trials of life.
O
my
sweet
Saviour,
it
was
up
to
us
to
stretch
out
our
hands
and
feet
to
the
executioners
to
nail
them
to
the
Cross,
since
we
alone
were
the
real
culprits.
O
my
good
Mother,
help
us
to
conceive
a
keen
horror
of
sin,
the
murderer
of
our
good
Jesus,
the
murderer
of
our
souls.
Fix
also
the
inconstancy
of
our
hearts,
and
nail
our
hands
and
feet
to
the
Cross,
so
that
we
may
never
separate
ourselves
from
Jesus,
who
is
the
life
of
our
souls.
Above
all,
fix
our
poor
hearts
to
it,
so
that
from
now
on,
attached
to
the
Cross
by
the
bonds
of
love
and
gratitude,
we
may
be
His for time and for eternity.
XI. Jesus is nailed to the Cross.
O
Mary,
whom
we
see
standing
at
the
foot
of
the
Cross,
receiving
with
such
great
calm
the
last
breath
of
Your
divine
Son,
while
in
nature
everything
is
in
turmoil
and
stupor,
tell
us
what
this
twelfth
station,
whose
venerated
image
we
find
everywhere, teaches us?
–
Ah,
dear
children,
contemplate
your
Saviour,
tied
to
the
Cross.
It
is
for
you
that
His
arms
are
stretched
out;
it
is
for
you
that
His
side
was
opened,
yes,
for
you
and
for
all
the
sinners
of
the
earth.
Come
often
to
the
foot
of
this
Cross,
from
which
Jesus,
at
the
moment
of
expiring,
asked
forgiveness
and
mercy
for
all
the
sins
of
the
world.
May
His
blood
fall
upon
you,
to
wash
and
cleanse
you
of
all
your
defilements.
My
Son
prayed
for
you;
oh,
do
not
forget it.
–
O
blessed
Mary,
how
happy
we
are
to
hear
it!
Ask
Your
dear
Son
to
receive
us
into
His
arms,
to
open
His
Heart
to
us,
and
to
close
it
upon
us,
to
separate
us
from
the
world
and
all
its
vain
pleasures;
and
that
henceforth
our life be hidden in God with Jesus Christ.
XII. Jesus dies on the Cross for our salvation.
O
Mary,
my
good
Mother,
how
Your
most
holy
soul
must
have
been
pierced
by
a
sword,
by
an
immense
pain,
when
You
received
in
Your
arms
The
lifeless
body
of
Your
sweet
Jesus!
I
understand
the
reason
why
the
holy
Church
gave
You
the
name
of
Our
Lady
of
Infinite
Sorrows.
She
wants
us
to
represent
You
under
the
features
of
an
afflicted
mother,
whose
heart
is
pierced
with
seven
swords.
O
Mary,
You
present
this
good
Jesus
to
our
eyes,
and
it
seems
to
us
that
we
hear
You
speak
this
language
to
us:
–
O
My
children,
cast
your
eyes
upon
the
body
of
your
Saviour,
your
God,
this
pallid,
bloody
and
wounded
body.
See!
So
many
humiliations,
sufferings
and
love!
And
all
this
to
save
your
souls!
Will
you
not
make
any
sacrifice
for
your
Saviour?
Would
I
have
resigned
Myself
to
the
immolation
of
My
dear
Son
without
this
immolation
benefiting
you?
–
Oh
no,
most
holy
Mother
of
God,
we
don’t
want
to
cause
You
this
sorrow
anymore…
We
sincerely
deplore
our
guilty
cowardice.
We
promise
You
to
make
amends
and
to
repair
by
a
redoubling
of
love
and
a
serious
penance
our
innumerable
sins
which
made Your sweet Jesus die.
XIII. Jesus is taken down from the Cross.
How
often,
in
certain
moments
of
fervor,
have
we
not
said
to
ourselves:
Oh,
if
it
had
been
given
to
me,
as
it
was
to
this
man,
to
be
called
to
the
great
honor
of
carrying
the
Cross
with
Jesus!
And
yet,
it
is
up
to
us
to
enjoy
this
favor;
the
opportunity
presents
itself
every day…
“My
children,”
the
Virgin
Mary
tells
us,
“you
long
for
the
honor
of
helping
My
divine
Son
to
carry
His
Cross;
well,
do
everything
He
tells
you.
Open
the
Gospel;
what
does
it
say
to
you?
Give
food
and
clothing
to
the
poor,
visit
the
sick,
comfort
the
afflicted…
Truly
I
say
to
you,
whatever
good
you
do
to
the
least
of
your
brothers,
I
will
consider
as
done
to
Myself,
and
so
you
will
make
My
Cross
lighter.
The
kingdom
of
heaven
suffers
violence;
correct
this
defect,
destroy
this
bad
habit,
hold
back
your
tongue,
increase
your
vigilance,
fight
your
wicked
passions…
And
you
will
help
Me,
like
the
Cyrenian,
to carry the weight of My Cross…”
–
Thank
you,
O
good
Mother,
for
the
light
that
You
have
shone
in
the
eyes
of
our
soul.
Oh,
let
us
accompany
You
on
the
Way
to
Calvary,
so
that
we
may
never
be
separated
from
Your
dear
Son,
since
He alone has the words of eternal life.
V. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His Cross.
O
my
divine
Saviour,
it
is
not
for
ever
that
You
are
placed
in
the
tomb.
Soon,
O
divine
Mary,
You
will
see
Him
again:
consoling
You,
wiping
Your
tears
and
congratulating
You
on
Your
courage.
It
is
not
so
with
us.
Too
often,
by
our
infidelities,
we
dig
ourselves
a
foul
grave,
where
we
let
our
soul
fall
asleep
with
a
sleep
of
death,
for
whole
months,
for
years
perhaps…
Yet
it
would
be
so
easy
for
us
to
come
out
of
the
tomb
of
our
sins,
to
resurrect
to
grace,
to
take
up
a
new
life,
the life of the children of God, the children of Mary.
The
tomb
of
Jesus,
the
emblem
of
our
holy
Tabernacles,
contains
an
inexhaustible
source
of
graces
that
urge
us
to
return
to
God…
And
we
are
not
going
to
quench
our
thirst
at
this
source
of
living
water,
which
flows
back
to
eternal
life!…
Oh!
if
we
are
lost,
it
will
be
our
fault.
O
good
Mother,
do
not
allow
it;
rather,
perform
a
miracle
in
favor
of
Your
children.
The
less
we
deserve
it,
the
more
honor
will
come
to
You,
the
more
You
will
have
the
right
to
our
eternal gratitude.
XIV. Jesus is laid in the tomb.
